Gifts!

While I was home over Thanksgiving, I gave both of my older brothers their birthday gifts. It is extremely difficult to think of a useful and thoughtful gift for two foodies who already have everything. One of my brothers loves coffee and the other one loves tea, so I made my own tea and coffee sets using my favorite San Francisco bay area favorites. These gifts don't break the bank and are usually something that everyone can use. You can take the girl out of San Francisco, but you cannot take San Francisco out of the girl!

In addition to giving a couple gifts, I received the best gift maybe ever. A box of Kolaches. Read on to see what these magical things are...


Kolaches

Ah, one of the many joys of Phish tour is making new friends. Especially friends that will send you a box of Kolaches for Thanksgiving. My friend in Texas introduced me to these and once you eat them you are never the same. A Kolache is kind of like a mini Hawaiian bun stuffed with almost anything. My personal favorite is the bacon and cheddar. The sweet, doughy bread and salty bacon and cheddar is a dream come true. Kolaches are a great host/hostess gift and are good for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack. Last week I may or may not have eaten 3 in a row around 1 a.m. Anyway, my point is that it is always a good time for a Kolache. Baker sisters rule. http://www.kolachefactory.com/

TEA SET

Le Creuset Honey Pot - http://www.surlatable.com/product/id/210702.do?affsrcid=Aff0001

Photo courtesy of surlatable.com

Marshall's Farm Honey - The honey sampler and French Laundry honey are amazing! Really the best honey selection around. http://www.marshallshoney.com/

Bodum Assam Tea Pot - So many tea fans do not have a loose leaf tea pot. This one is really reasonable and brewing your own loose leaf tea is really the way to go. http://www.surlatable.com/product/bodum+assam+teapot.do?keyword=tea+pot&sortby=ourPicks

Green Tea with Roasted Brown Rice - I only know about this tea because my very good friend, Lisa, told me about it. The flavor of the roasted brown rice makes this the best tasting green tea in my opinion. It rocks and so does Lisa.

Coffee


Photo courtesy of thefrontsteps.com

Blue Bottle Coffee - This place is the real deal. Blue Bottle started selling their coffee from a small kiosk in Hayes Valley. Today there are 7 different locations where you can get your fix. The lines are usually long and if you want to buy beans to take home, they sell out early. Lucky for us, they have a webstore now and will ship you coffee. Such a great gift. http://store.bluebottlecoffee.net/StoreFront.bok

Ritual Coffee - Jason fell in love with this place at the Oxbow Public Market in Napa. Fantastic coffees and espressos and will also ship them to you. http://www.ritualroasters.com/